Surfers Balk at Providing Personal Data

Microsoft may have a hard time convincing Internet users to provide the personal information necessary to use its upcoming HailStorm service, if the results of a new study released on Monday hold true.

Consumers, especially those in their first year online, are reluctant to offer up their personal information on the Web, according to the study by research firm Jupiter Media Metrix. The majority are resistant to models like HailStorm, in which a single company stores user information and gives it to vendors, other companies, or to the user upon request, the study says.

The study tracked Internet users who have been online for five or more years and those online for a year or less. It examined the differences between the two groups in their willingness to store personal information beyond name, address, and zip code with third parties.

The bulk of new users surveyed trusted no one, with 44 percent of respondents saying that they didn't trust any company with their personal information; 34 percent of longtime Internet users said the same thing. Of those veteran users who did feel comfortable releasing their personal information, 36 percent trusted online retailers the most. Only 12 percent of newbies felt the same way.

Skeptics Speak Up

On the topic of personal information services such as HailStorm, the study found that 37 percent of five-year users and 48 percent of one-year users oppose such services, while 35 percent and 30 percent, respectively, are skeptical.

Of longtime users, 23 percent are tentatively in favor of such services, while 17 percent of new users feel the same way. Only 5 percent of veterans and 6 percent of new users are wholly in favor of the model.

Additionally, banks were trusted with personal information by 31 percent of five-year users and only 13 percent of new users. Credit card companies received the trust of 25 percent of veterans and 11 percent of newbies.

When it came to the trust placed in specific companies, Internet service providers ranked first, with 18 percent of veterans and 27 percent of new users saying they trust them. Among other companies studied, Yahoo has the trust of 16 percent of longtime users and 15 percent of new users, while the Microsoft Network has the trust of 9 percent of veterans and 6 percent of new users, the study found.